Apparatus for heating coal



2 Sheets-Sheet 1A IIIII Y v Jan. 11, 1938.

J. S. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR HEATING GOAL Filed April 7,' 1954` Jan. 11, 1938. 1. s. MORGAN APPARATUS FOR HEATING COAL Filed April 7, 1934 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1l, 1938 YUNITED STATES PATENT ori-"lola: I

Application April 7, 1934, Serial No. 719,581 In Great Britain April 8, 1933 p 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for making gas and coke from a solid distillable fuel and has for its object to provide an apparatus which can utilize iinely divided "dufP coal or pearl coalof pieces not larger than 1A; inch for which it is otherwise difficult to find a market. The carbonization of the coal is accomplished by mixing it with incandescent coke.

According to the invention the apparatus used comprises a mechanical grate, a mixing chamber for coal and incandescent coke above and adapted to discharge on to one end of said grate, means for supplying air to said grate whereby to raise the mixture of coal and colse to incandescence, a coke hopper above, and adapted to discharge into said mixing chamber, a hopper for coal above and adaptedto discharge into said mixing chamber, means for collecting incandescent coke discharged from the other end of said Cil grate a conveyor adapted to convey part of said incandescent coke to said coke hopper from said collecting means, and means for driving off the gas generated in said mixing chamber.

The invention is illustrated in the accompany- 25 ing drawings in which Fig. 1 represents-a side View of an apparatus according to the 'invention and Fig. 2 is a plan view.

An ordinary chain grate is shown at 5. It is adapted to be driven by the shaft l1 and gear wheel I8 by Vvmeans of the octagonal roller I9. This chain grate is caused to run faster than usual and to spill hot coke at its upper end into a hopper 6. The coke is collected in the hopper 6 and part thereof is blown by means of a jet 1 along a pipe Sinto the hot coke storage hopper I0. The gas (air, steam or stripped gas) supplied tothe jet l may be preheated'by means not shown and fed to the jet by a blower 8.

If air is employed, and preheated, combustion will occur in the pipe 3.

The hot gas thus produced consisting of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide if air is used, carbon monoxide and hydrogen (water gas) if steam is used is returned to the grate by the pipeV l2 where it is burnt. Before it passes to the grate, however, it is passed to a dust catcher Il, where ne dust is deposited, by the port 20. The hot coke is fed from the hot coke storage hopper I0 to the mixing chamber 3 by the mixing device 2,

into a mixing chamber 3 where it is mixed with fresh coal fed from the coal hopper I. The distillation and mixing chamber 3 is closed at the bottom by the chain grate, which continuously withdraws the hot coke therein produced, the coke being heated to bright incandescence by the combution on the chain grate. Distillation occurs in the chamber 3, the gases and vapors produced passing outthrough pipe I3 to the usual collecting and purifying apparatus (not shown), I6 is the means supplying air to the chain grate, I 4 is a 5 arched flue and l5 a chimney stack. The apparatus may be incorporated with a steam raising apparatus.

In this way an extremely effective gas making process becomes possible. A very rich gas is l0 evolved from the coal, and if it is desired toproduce a gas containing say 40G-500 B. t. u. per cubic foot, it is not even necessary to separate the coke chamber fromV the distillation chamber, for I find that 3000 cubic feet of air suitably dis- 15 charged from a jet will lift suiicient coke to distill enough coal to produce 3000 cubic feet of gas of 1000 B. t. u. The mixture is therefore about 400-500 B. t. u. f

If steam is used, to elevate the coke a continu- 20 ous supply of water gas is obtained, which may or may not be enriched by the use of coal. Y

Oil may be injected into the hot coke also to enrich the water gas. 1

It should be observed that I have thus all the 25 advantages of a water'gas system without the complication of blowing with air alternately with steam. It is also possibleto avoid the necessity of isolating the coke chamber from the distillation chamber Vby blowing with the stripped gas 30 itself.

The method of distillation by mixing directly hot coke with carbonaceous material is capable of the most delicate adjustment as regards operating temperature and is able to deal with almost 35 any materials that will burn. It will produce a very rich gas which may be still further enriched by spraying Voil into the hot mass, or it can be adapted to produce water gas or producer gas enriched or not. 40V

When oil is used no trouble is caused by deposition of carbon for this is burnt away on the chain grate. 'I'he thermal eiciency is very much greater thanis usual in gas making plants and such heat losses as occur are amply compensated for by the recovery of oil and the production of a valuable gas.

I declare that what I claim isz- An apparatus for making gasv and coke from a distillable fuel, comprising anA enclosed mix- 5o ing chamber of a size Vadapted to serve as a distillation chamber and having distributor means therein, a coal hopperrabove and adapted to discharge into saidmixlng chamber, al coke hopper above and adapted to discharge into said mixing 55 conveyor for conveying part of the incandescent coke to said coke hopper from said collecting means, means for returning the hot gas produced in said compressed gas conveyor to said grate,

and means for drawing off the gases generated in 5 said mixing chamber.

JOHN STANLEY MORGAN. 

